There you are sitting by yourself- your heart is breaking and tears are leaving wet marks on your shirt. You feel all alone and you’re asking where I am, but I am right here with you. Right now it just hurts too much and you can’t ‘feel’ me near- but I am there. (1) I really do hear your cry (13), and I am with you in your broken heartedness. (2)
Let me wipe away your tears as I will do forever one day. (6) Did you know that I remember all your tears, even all your footsteps? (7) You always thought life ‘can only get easier’, but you found out differently… though I wish it didn’t have to be that way. Let me comfort you in this distressing time. (8) Let me tell you how precious you are to me (9), how much I want to share your life (10), and how much I love you! (11)
I heard you crying in the darkness. Cry out to me. (12) I’ll hear you, (13) and I will shine my light in your darkness to help you through it. (14) Allow me to comfort you, (15) to be with you (10) and help lead you out of the dark. (16) Fear not, for I am with you, don’t be alarmed, for I will strengthen you, help you, ‘I will enable you to bear all your trials with my faithful’* hand of favour. (17) Nothing or no one can ever separate you from my love. (18)
Remember, I love you with an everlasting love! (Jer. 31:3)
1. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him… Ps. 145:18
2. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Ps. 34:17,18
3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Ps. 56:3
4. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Rom.
5. God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Num. 23:19
6. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev. 21:4
7. …yet his (God’s) eyes are upon their (man’s) ways. Job 24:23
8. I, even I, am he that comforteth you… Is. 51:12
9. Since thou art precious in My sight… Is. 43:4 JPS
10. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. … Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. … God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:13-16
11. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
12. (David) …Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock… Ps. 28:1
13. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Ps. 18:6
14. When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; Job 29:3
15. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Ps. 23:4
16. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Ps. 61:2
*Albert Barnes notes on the Bible ‘paraphrase’
17. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Is. 41:10
18. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom.